All Good Things
by ShinySilverVolvo
Summary: Bella soon realises that she can't spend the rest of her life clinging onto Jacob. But when she meets Seth, that doesn't seem to be much of an issue anymore. 4 years isn't really that much of an age-gap, right? Wrong. Bella tries to do the right thing, but knows that she'll eventually give in to stop herself from hurting Seth. Meanwhile, Paul has some imprinting troubles of his own
1. Chapter 1

All Good Things

Summary:

Bella soon realises that she can't spend the rest of her life clinging onto Jacob. But when she meets Seth, that doesn't seem to be much of a problem anymore. 4 years isn't really that much of an age-gap, right? Wrong. Bella tries to do the right thing, but knows that she'll eventually give in to stop herself from hurting Seth. Meanwhile, Paul has to try to fix his past if he wants to get his imprint to even speak to him. But is he really willing to change that much for one girl? For love?

Bella:

I don't know why I found myself there, sitting at the foot of Long Beach. I should have been at Jacob's, helping- or watching- him finish the bikes. It would have been better for me to be at Jacob's- I knew that if I spent so much more time away, Charlie would begin to notice differences. But sometimes I felt as though I was smothering the boy, being over every spare second I had. Perhaps if I spaced out our time together, he wouldn't get bored of me so quickly. Like everyone always did. Like they did.

I winced and wrapped my arms around my chest, trying desperately to shut the agonising, gaping wound there. Then I cursed myself. You'd think that I'd know by now not to think about anything remotely related to them, let alone _them._ But I never learned. My mind couldn't help but wonder back to the people that I loved so dearly- the people who I had thought loved me back.

A slapping noise followed by a bunch of jeering broke me out of my little pity party. Further along the beach, there was a volley ball net set up with a bunch of boys on either side. They were hitting the ball back and forth, laughing gleefully and shoving each other around.

One of them was considerably taller and more muscled than the rest. After a while of squinting, I made him out to be Seth Clearwater. I remembered the mini spaghetti party that had been held a few weeks back, and smiled. Seth was only 14- the son of Charlie's best friend, Harry Clearwater. I had taken a liking to him and his contagious grin immediately. It was almost like Jake's, but somehow completely different in a way that I couldn't explain.

I watched him run up and down the beach for a while, out of pure curiosity. Athletic as he looked, he was all lanky and gangly. It made me smile a little. I wondered if he was in the grade below Jacob, or the one below that. Probably sensing my heavy stare on his back, Seth turned in my direction. When he spotted me he waved, turned back to his friends to tell them something, then began to jog over. I sat up and brushed the sand off of my hands.

Though it was a pretty long distance, he wasn't out of breath in the slightest when he arrived next to me.

"Hello Bella."

"Hey, Seth."

He grinned down at me and I couldn't help but let out a little giggle. He seemed pleased with himself for doing that.

"Wanna come and join us? I'm sure the guys won't mind."

I scoffed. "Thanks, but I have the worst hand-eye coordination you've ever seen."

"Can't be that bad."

"Trust me, you haven't seen me in gym."

Seth considered it for a while, then shrugged. "You can be ref then. They're all cheating rats, we could definitely use you." He offered his hand to help me up, and I took it. Though he was four years younger, he was easily 6 inches taller than me. I frowned- what in hell were they feeding these kids? And he was certainly way too young to be gaining all those muscles- I couldn't help but notice how chiselled his jaw had become.

I made him walk back over to the game, but he didn't seem to mind. He chatted on about the different teams and who was who, and I actually found myself listening. I decided that Seth was the sweetest boy in the world for the offer.

"Hey guys, this is Bella. She's ref, so no more cheating, or she's gonna kick your ass."

A few of them took in my size and snickered, but I scared the puny 14 year olds away with the dead look in knew I still had inside of me. Though Jake and I had worked to make it fade, I could still pull it back up unnervingly easily. Sometimes, pushing things away and distracting yourself didn't help the issue. I didn't really see any other option for myself, though.

Seth squeezed my hand- which I hadn't realised he was still holding- and gave me a reassuring smile. I walked over to the edge of the net and pretended to know what was going on. I didn't make it to Jacob's that day.

Paul:

I winced against the blaring music and the flashing lights. My senses had been pretty sensitive lately, and I often found myself cringing away from loud noises and particularly pungent smells. I scanned the room quickly, trying pick her out from the crowds. I eventually came across her posy, and it was impossible not to spot her right in the middle of the small crowd.

She had let her hair down, and I watched from a distance when she swept it out of the way as strands of it fell down onto her face. She had her arms thrown up above her head and her hips moving in beat to whatever song was playing. Her and her friends knew every single lyric- belting along like 13 yr olds at a school disco.

A short, black, off-the-shoulder dress embraced her slender frame. I didn't fail to notice how the material clung and strained against the curves and dips of her body. The high heels added some height to her pathetic 5"6. They certainly helped to highlight her legs- the muscled, toned, legs of an athlete.

Anger bubbled up inside of me- a familiar feeling. Or perhaps is was irritation. Or frustration. I couldn't really tell the difference anymore.

But I did know that it was the anger that forced me over there. Forced me to plaster that over-used, cocky, arrogant smirk on my face that would make her just as agitated as I was.

"What do you want, Lahote?" She asked in a cutting tone. I felt the side of my mouth twitch upwards. The carefree smile that had once lit up her face was long-gone, replaced with a glare just as sharp as her voice.

"Don't be like that, sweetheart. It's a party. Why don't you let me join in on the fun?" My voice came out much gravellier than I'd expected it to, and she looked taken aback that I had even replied to her in the first place. All of her friends- there must have been at least 6 or 7 of them- were looking between the both of us frantically, clearly wondering if they should let the situation play out or butt in.

"Fuck off home. No one wants you here." I hadn't expected her to speak so coldly.

I felt a tremor of anger rock through my body. I leaned into her, and gripped her waist to stop her from moving. I expected more of a fight, but she stayed deadly still. "I'm sure many of your girls here would disagree with that." I whispered. I smirked with satisfaction when she shivered slightly.

"If you think making me jealous is going to get me back into your pants, then you're mistaken."

"So you admit it- the thought of me fucking one (or more) of your friends makes you jealous." I leaned back and smirked in triumph.

She scowled when she realised her mistake. "Fuck. The hell. Off."

More tremors wracked through me, and my body started to ache with them. I made a disgruntled grunting noise. I considered staying for a while to push my luck, but thought better of it. I wouldn't put it past that girl to report me for sexual harassment or some shit.

Making her jealous hadn't even occurred to me yet, but I was thankful that she'd put the idea in my head. I guess it was because I'd never had to resort to such extreme measures.

I don't know what it was about Taylor Avery, but once I set my sights on her, I couldn't set them back on any other girl. She knew it, I knew it. I'd first met her when Forks and La Push had done a crossover chemistry class, since supplies were so limited. We'd totally hit it off. She had been my partner, and it's safe to say that not much work was done that day. At the end of that same week, we'd reunited at a party. We were both drunk, and to put it bluntly, we were both horny, 16-year-old virgins.

Taylor had been my first time. Minus the fumbling and blushing, it was pretty freaking awesome. I hadn't even been a dick about getting into her pants so quickly the next morning. She seemed pretty damn happy.

But then I guess one of her friends told her about my tainted reputation, or something like that. Even though she'd been the one to give me her number, she refused to pick up my calls. Taylor avoided me like the plague, and her tongue became unbearably acidic when I did manage to get a hold on her. Girls these days. Ugh.

I wasn't ashamed to say that though Taylor had been my first, she wasn't my last. I seemed to have my way with girls, even those much older. That was probably partly because I looked a good few years older than I actually was. Though as the weeks drew on, my desire to be with other girls lessened, and the desire to give Taylor another thorough fucking intensified. She was as bitter as always, though.

Surely, me being with other people would just drive her away? But I wasn't thinking clearly that night, so I ground against the first girl that showed any interest- which didn't take long- and tried desperately to not look back at Taylor. She was blonde- pale, like most people here in Washington. She wore killer 6-inch heels and a skirt so short that I was pretty sure I could see one of her butt-cheeks poking out from underneath it. Rather than turning me on when she smashed her lips against mine, I felt sick to my stomach. More of the painful tremors coursed down my body, and I shoved her away as quickly as I could. I stumbled blindly towards the exit- all the noises, smells, sounds and brightness of everything increased. I gasped in the cool, night air when I finally found my way out. I practically fell onto the ground, and put my head between my legs, trying to clear the spots from my vision and stop the shakes.

"What the hell was that?" Called out an all too familiar voice. I groaned in response. "You knocked that girl over onto the floor, Lahote."

"Don't care." I panted. It was the truth.

I was even more surprised when she came over to sit next to me. "We should probably get you over to the hospital. You're shaking like crazy." She pushed the back of her hand up against my neck- I could practically feel her wince. "You're burning up, too."

"No. No hospital- I've just gotta get home." Something told me that I needed to be in La Push. I turned my head slightly to find her looking down at me with a genuinely concerned expression. Her face was lit up by the street lights. She was wearing more makeup than usual- she didn't need it. I wandered what her reaction would be if I said that out loud.

"I guess I'll drive you then." She decided, clearly trying to sound annoyed at me, but failing.

I didn't argue with her, knowing that even if I was my usual self, I probably wouldn't win.

Taylor begrudgingly offered her shoulder for me to lean on, and I took it as graciously as I could. Once I had lead her over to my car, I put the keys into her free hand and hobbled over to the passenger seat. I noted that the tremors had stopped, but I still felt like every bone in my body was slowly being broken. Though that didn't make much sense, since the pain was gradual- getting worse by the minute- and not all of a sudden.

Taylor started the car up and began to manoeuvre out of the parking-lot.

"Don't you need directions?" I asked weekly, completely leaning against the seat. My pride was taking a huge blow with her seeing me like this.

She bit her full lip, and kept her eyes on the road. "I remember the way."

The rest of the journey home was filled with few words, but somehow managed to be the opposite of awkward. By the time she pulled into my driveway I was starting to feel a hell of a lot better.

"Will your dad be home?" She asked.

"Business trip."

"God, he really shouldn't leave you alone as much. I can only imagine half of the shit you get yourself into."

I managed a smile. "He couldn't stop me even if he was sitting right next to me."

Taylor looked as if she were about to say something but stopped. She pressed her lips together then jumped out of the car, coming around to the other side to help me out.

"I think I can manage to get out of the car by myself."

She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow and pouted at me. "Has your ego been damaged one too many times tonight?"

"More than one." I admitted, earning myself half a smile. "But actually, I'm feeling much better."

She narrowed her icy-blue eyes. "I swear to God, Lahote, if this was all some facade to get me to come back to your place-"

"Relax, Avery. It's not. And why the hell would I assume that you'd follow me outside?"

She squared her jaw and shrugged.

"Does someone still have a sweet spot for me after all?" I teased.

"I suggest you shut the hell up while I still have your keys, Lahote."

"So easily triggered."

"Because you're trying to make me angry!" She cried.

"Me? I would never." I almost considered batting my eyelashes to convey my innocence.

"That blonde bimbo from earlier would say otherwise." She grumbled unhappily.

I certainly wasn't expecting that response. I deigned not to reply, and started making my way up to the porch. I was halfway across the driveway when I realised she wasn't following. "I suggest you come in while you wait for one of your girls to come pick you up. I don't see how else you'll be getting home."

Taylor pursed her lips for a minute, her stance unusually stiff. Once she decided that I was right, she made her way towards the door slowly. I turned around so she couldn't see me smile.

Once we were inside, I poured us both some moonshine and sat down on the couch. Taylor hesitated before taking it from me, clearly thinking that I had ulterior motives. I wouldn't blame her, judging by my past. But good God, it must have been her grandmother's dying wish that she was never to sleep with me again. I didn't see why else she wouldn't want to.

"Relax, Avery." I found myself saying for the second time. "I've just got to make up for the drinks you missed at the party."

Though it took some time, Taylor loosened up. Maybe it was the moonshine, or maybe it was the realisation that I wasn't going to just jump her all of a sudden. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. We shared laughs and stories from the past month, edging around a certain subject that she made obvious wasn't going to be brought up. It was only once we had two bottles completely drained that I bothered to check the time. 02:23.

 _Shit._ What time must we had left the party? 11?

Taylor let out a yawn and then giggled when it turned into a hiccup.

"Whas wrong?" Her head fell forward and hit my shoulder lazily. Though we were both too drunk to really process whether the contact meant anything, it made my skin tingle.

"Nothin'." I played with the ends of her hair. It was a pretty colour. Dark and lush and shiny. Curled and let loose. She sighed contentedly under my touch, and my stomach fluttered.

"You tired?" I asked her.

Taylor managed to raised her head and look at me with bleary eyes. First she nodded her head yes, then shook her head no, then shrugged. I smiled at her. she smiled back.

Though wasted, it was the first time I'd felt truly happy in weeks. I had gotten into 3 fights at school in the past 3 days. Not good. My timetable was filled with detentions, and I was pretty sure that if I didn't sort myself out soon I wouldn't be welcomed at La Push High for much longer.

I was pulled out of my inner monologue by a short, sudden, chaste kiss on the lips.

"Stop worrying so much, Paul. You look so much more handsome when you smile." Though her words were tired and slurred, and I was pretty sure that if she were sober she wouldn't even be here right now, her words forced me to smile. I got a grin in response.

Taylor didn't protest when I cupped her flushed cheeks in my large, rough hands. She even moaned quietly when my lips first touched hers, gently but not timidly. My confidence built as the kiss grew on, and soon enough we were both panting. My skin was alight, and I couldn't begin to describe the feelings that came with her body being pressed up against mine once again. She was first to introduce tongue, and we made out for at least another five minutes before I started working on her shirt.

It was when my hands first made contact with her bear stomach that she froze up. Her lips stopped moving against mine and I pulled back from her, looking for an explanation. Taylor's breathing shallowed, and her eyes started to well up.

"Taylor?" I asked nervously, beginning to panic.

"I can't." She said, attempting to stand up on wobbly legs. I reached forward to help her, but she stumbled back too quickly for me to grab her.

"No." She sobbed the word with what I could only describe as pure sadness, and it made my heart ache a little. A lot, actually.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't do this, Paul. I can't be one of them."

"Who?" I asked, completely lost. Taylor started to back away from me slowly, towards the door.

"Another one of your sluts."

I froze then, not knowing how to reply.

"I see them everywhere, you know. They whisper about you whenever you walk past."

"I-"

She didn't let me continue. "And I can't be known like that. I can't be known _for_ that."

It looked as though the kiss completely sobered her up, as short as it seemed to last. "Taylor, please. I-"

"Don't look so hurt, Lahote. It's just mindless sex to you, anyways." She said as she reached the door, hand on the doorknob.

I cringed when she went back to called me by my last name. "I'll drive you home." I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with her. My own fault, I supposed.

"No. I'll walk. Don't follow me."

And I didn't.

After the door slammed shut, the tremors started again- so much harder than before. I cried out, but of course, there was no longer anyone there to hear me.


	2. Chapter 2

_TIMESKIP_

Bella:

Harry Clearwater was dead. Two more wolves had phased- Leah and Seth. Victoria was still alive. I had been about to add my death to the list of things to grieve about. What a selfless, considerate person I was. Not. And for what? To hear voices inside my head? I was turning myself mad.

I leaned my head back against the couch, rubbing my cheek against the familiar leather. Charlie hadn't bothered to even ask why my hair was wet and I looked such a state. If he was so hung up, I could only imagine what Sue and the kids were feeling.

The thought disturbed me so much that I pushed myself up onto my feet, ignoring the numbness of my legs after the shock of the freezing cold water.

"Dad?" I asked softly. He took his head out of his hands long enough to peer at me and give a grunt of acknowledgement. I winced when I saw his red eyes, and the water marks trailing down his cheeks.

"Is there anything- _anything-_ that I can do to help? Maybe we could bring some food over for Sue, Leah and Seth. Surely they can't bring themselves to do anything right now."

It took him a while to respond. "That's a great idea, Bells. They'll appreciate it." He gave me a wavering smile, then left for the living room to give me some space in the kitchen.

Honestly, I wasn't sure they'd appreciate it at all. The food, maybe. But seeing my face? No. If you looked at the bigger picture, technically I was the reason that the kids had phased. And though they couldn't blame Harry's heart problems on me, they sure as hell wouldn't want me showing up at their door right now. I sighed, deciding that I'd try my best anyways. At least they wouldn't starve.

I kept myself busy until Charlie made a point that we should probably get going. Two lasagnes, garlic bread, salad, a chocolate pie and an apple crumble should do it. We stuffed everything into the back of the cruiser and started on our way.

The amount of grief lingering in the air of the Clearwater residence was palpable. I flinched at the look on Sue's face when she answered the door. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red, her mouth trembled whenever she opened it, and her eyes held such sorrow that it made me want to wrap my arms around her waist and convince her that everything would be alright. I guessed that if she didn't have two kids to be strong for, Sue would be losing it right about now.

With three pairs of arms, we managed to get the food inside the house in one go. Sue thanked me numerously, and I told her not to be ridiculous. She shouldn't have to be thinking about cooking.

"I'll go and get Seth and Leah down for dinner." Sue said quietly, and got up from her seat at the table.

"No, that's okay. We don't want to intrude." I said quickly. Charlie nodded from behind me.

"Nonsense." She brushed us both off and went to retrieve her children. I thought back to the last time I had seen them both. With Leah it had been her giving me a tongue lashing for messing Jacob around so much. I pictured her harsh glare and grimaced. With Seth… I remembered when he invited me to play volley ball with his friends, and I felt even more crushed than when I had received the news of Harry's death. I imagined Seth without that set grin on his face… actually, that was a lie. I couldn't. I didn't want to.

I was snapped out of my reverie by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. All three of them had their heads down and their shoulders slumped forward, as if the heartbreak was weighing them down physically. My own heart clenched at the sight. I tried not to look at them with too much pity- I had hated it, so I'm sure they would too.

I tried to take care of serving, but Sue was having none of it. We ate in silence. What, really, was there for us to say?

"Thank you again, Bella. You've outdone yourself." She said.

I smiled as best I could. "Not a problem."

At the sound of my voice, Seth's head snapped up. I could feel him looking at me intently, and met his eyes out of curiosity. We both gasped simultaneously. Everything else in the room seemed to blur. My heartbeat had either stopped completely, or sped up erratically. Everywhere he looked, my skin set alight. Though I wasn't doing anything but sitting down, I'm pretty sure that I began to pant. My body seemed to gravitate towards him, as if it was no longer gravity that pulled me down to earth, but Seth.

That thought brought me back to reality a little- I was pretty sure Jacob said the exact same thing to me when describing an… imprint. Shit. _Shit._ So that was what this was. To be completely honest with you, I was proud of myself for figuring it out so quickly.

I tried to continue eating dinner as normal, but it seemed as though Seth couldn't stop staring at me. As if sensing that it made me slightly uncomfortable, he tried to concentrate on his lasagne. But the poor wolf couldn't help himself from stealing a few glances. It worried me that I found it endearing.

There were so many feelings rushing around inside of me, I didn't know whether to smile, cry, jump into his arms or hide.

I had no clue whether the others had noticed the short but intense interaction that had gone on between the two of us. I couldn't find it in me to pay anyone else any attention.

I decided that even if I didn't quite know what the imprint meant, I was happy that it took Seth's mind off of his father's death. You could definitely tell he had been crying, but he seemed to have forgotten about that for the time being.

Dinner eventually ended, and Charlie and I started getting ready to leave. We had to give the poor family some peace and quiet to mourn.

"You're leaving already?" Seth asked in a slightly panicked tone as we walked over to the door. I turned around and gave him half a smile, conveying that I somewhat understood.

"Gonna be at Sam's tomorrow morning, Seth." I murmured. He didn't look completely satisfied with my answer, but accepted it.

Charlie gave Sue a small embrace, which I decided to follow his lead on. That meant it didn't look as weird when I hugged Seth. He stiffened up a little at first, and I understood why. There wasn't a spark, or a sudden jolt when we touched. Something just clicked into place, and no matter how subtle it was, we both knew it.

Seth's skin was warmer than a human's by far, but not uncomfortably hot like Jacob's sometimes was. It was smooth too. Comforting. It dawned on me that I should probably be the one comforting him, and rubbed a few repetitive circles into his back. The hug had lasted much longer than my one with Sue, and I was pretty sure the kid was about to start purring, so I forced myself to pull away. He gave me a look so hurt that I had to turn away, even though his puppy-dog eyes made a giggle bubble up deep down inside of me.

Leah hadn't deigned to walk me and Charlie to the door, which I couldn't blame her for. So we left with one last goodbye, and I tried to get to sleep without thinking too much about Seth. It was a lot easier said than done.

The next morning, I skipped breakfast and headed off to Emily's house as I had promised. It was probably way safer in La Push, anyways. With Victoria still set out on giving me a slow and painful death and all. I shivered.

I pulled up outside the pretty little cottage and breathed in and out of my mouth deeply for a while. I could hear the boys chatter from outside, so it couldn't be anywhere near as bad as the Clearwater residence. I had no idea why I was so nervous.

I stalled for a little while, overthinking and doing who-knows-what. I was brought out of my thoughts by a small tap on my window. I jumped so high I almost hit my head on the top of the truck. I turned to see who it was, only to find Seth standing there, his lips twitching as if he were trying not to smile.

I opened the door slightly, sheepish that he had caught me.

"You gonna come inside?" He asked. Hearing his voice lifted weight that I hadn't even known I'd been carrying off my shoulders. I didn't like how I was so reliant on him after less than 24 hours of being imprinted on. I reminded myself that I still needed to get the details on that from someone.

"I don't see why not."

Halfway up the driveway, he stopped in his tracks. "Actually, I want to talk to you first." I raised my eyebrows at him. He looked down at the floor, and I instantly felt bad about the harsh look.

"It's okay, Seth. I know about the imprint." I murmured, trying to make it easier for the young wolf.

His head snapped up. "Jacob told you?" He asked unhappily.

"No. He didn't tell me about you imprinting on me, just about imprinting itself."

"-and you figured out the other part by yourself." It wasn't a question, but I still nodded and blushed. Seth ran his hand through his hair in one rough motion. His thick brows were furrowed, creating a small crease between them. He looked utterly torn.

"Was there something else?" I prompted for him to continue.

"I don't know, Bella. My father just died yesterday," his voice wobbled at that part, and I had to refrain myself from reaching out to comfort him. "And I haven't been able to concentrate on grieving for him one bit. I can't take my mind off of you. One minute I'm crying for my dad, and the next I'm wondering what your favourite colour is. It's ridiculous!"

I sighed. I hadn't been able to focus on much apart from the imprint, either. "What to you propose, then? How do the others go about it?" As soon as I asked the question I realised it was stupid. I thought back to the way Sam peppered Emily's face in kisses, then to the way Kim had been wrapped around in Jared's arm at the bonfire that night. I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Though Seth did look like a 20-year-old underwear model, I had to keep reminding myself of his age. And try my hardest not to notice the fact that he was standing about a couple feet in front of me, shirtless. Ugh, what would Charlie think?

"I'm not the one who's going to be proposing anything." Seth stated matter of factually. "I'm all yours, Bella. Whatever you want me to be."

I stared at him incredulously. He met my eyes, and it became clear to me that he spoke nothing but the truth.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" I spluttered. "Surely you must have some say in this! And you're only 14, for God's sake!"

"15, actually." He muttered quietly, clearly not please with my reaction.

"Not helping."

Seth sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I understand you not wanting a relationship with me," he started.

"That's not what I meant." I stated, rubbing my temples. But what had I meant? He looked and acted older than his age, and I certainly wasn't getting any younger. Then I pinched my thigh to get myself to snap out of it.

"Let me finish. Can we please just be friends? Not even as close as you and Jacob. Just friends. That's all. If you want, of course. You have every say." Seth started to ramble, and I found myself smiling at him.

"Of course, Seth. I'd be honoured to be one of your friends. Oh, and by the way, my favourite colour's brown."

This time, it was his turn to smile.

A/N: Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bella's POV

Seth and I entered the small house, greeted by the smell of fresh pancakes and the chatter of the boys. They were all gathered around the table apart from one- Paul Lahote. Just being in the same room as him made me slightly uncomfortable, but he certainly wasn't paying me any attention. Paul was sitting in a large arm chair across the other side of the room, head in hands and a deep frown etched across his face.

Seth followed my eye line and nodded in understanding. "Paul is having some… imprinting issues." He murmured.

I raised my eyebrows. "Paul? Imprinting?" I asked sceptically.

"That was all of our reactions."

Paul emitted a small growl, clearly picking up on the topic of our conversation, and Seth rolled his eyes and steered me away to the kitchen table.

"Morning Bella." Emily addressed me with a sullen smile to which I returned.

I wondered if Seth had told the pack about the imprint yet. I guessed that he hadn't, judging by the fact that Quil hadn't made a stupid comment yet. Maybe he didn't want to burden the pack with any more information, or put any pressure on me. Or maybe he was embarrassed. The thought made my stomach churn. I had always been called the 'leech lover', hadn't I? Seth wouldn't want his pack mates knowing that he had the blood sucker's sloppy seconds for an imprint, would he? I winced.

"What's giving you a brain haemorrhage, Bella?" Embry asked, and I attempted to smooth out my features. Seth shot me a concerned glance and briefly brushed his hand over mine, as if picking up on my thoughts.

The rest of the pack had now looked up from their food and were staring at me, too. I groaned internally. My eyes darted around the table and I noticed that Jacob wasn't present in the room. Funny that I hadn't picked up on that earlier.

"Nothing. Just thinking." Was my lame reply.

Embry shrugged. "If you're wondering where Jacob is, Sam's making him take Leah's patrol. Should get here within the hour."

"Are you hungry, Bella?" Emily asked before I could reply, a plate stacked with pancakes in her hands.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." I hadn't had an appetite for as long as I could remember. I was aware that I was unhealthily thin, and whatever curves or muscles I had were slowly wasting away. Everything seemed to taste like cardboard in my mouth.

"Did you eat already?" Seth asked, and I looked at him in surprise.

"Um, no. I'm just not hungry." Being the terrible actress I am, I didn't bother trying to lie. Something told me that Seth would see straight through me anyway.

"You barely ate anything yesterday, either." He complained. "You're gonna become anorexic if you're not careful."

I frowned at him. "I can take care of myself."

Seth smiled doubtfully and shrugged. "Okay."

I pushed back in my chair so I could face him, and crossed my arms. "I _can_."

"Then eat."

"No." I said incredulously.

Seth sighed while some of the other boys snickered. I was _far_ too stubborn to be easy and just shove some food into my mouth, especially now. So I decided to just wait until Jacob arrived- I _really_ needed to talk to him. I didn't want to keep anything from him, and I would so much rather the news came from me, rather than Seth slipping up whilst phased.

I had to wait around 40 minutes for Jacob to arrive. He walked inside looking both physically and emotionally drained. When he spotted me, Jacob instantly came over and wrapped me in his too-hot arms, as if he was relieved that I hadn't gone back to the cliffs knowing that he wouldn't be free to save me this time.

"Can we take a walk?" I whispered to him, knowing full well that the rest of the boys could still hear me, including Seth.

Jacob nodded and took my hand without a second thought, and I could feel Seth's eyes on my back as we walked out together.

"So, what's on your mind?" He asked eventually, and I assumed that meant we were out of earshot.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I had no clue how to start. "Remember when you told me about imprinting?"

"They told you about Paul, huh?"

"Not just that." I gnawed on my bottom lip, unsure of how to continue.

"Spit it out, Bella. You know I won't judge."

I searched his face, not entirely sure what I was looking for.

"Seth imprinted on me." I said the words so fast that they sounded like a jumbled blur to me, but he clearly understood them.

Jacob was silent for long enough that I started to worry. "Please say something."

He clenched and unclenched his hands repeatedly, and I noticed him start to shake lightly. "And you're 100% sure of that?" His voice was too calm.

"Yes?" I replied warily.

"I knew something like this would happen eventually." Jacob muttered, as though he was talking to himself. "Things were going too well. We were so close to catching the leech, and it was slow, but I knew that you were coming around. The life was starting to enter your eyes again. It was inevitable that something would eventually mess shit up and take you away from me. I just thought it was those stupid cliffs."

"Jacob!" I exclaimed. "Seth won't take me away from you! Nothing will." I said firmly. It was true. Even if I wanted to get rid of Jacob, our history made it somewhat impossible.

He let out a frustrated growl. "And in this situation, you're Sam, I'm Leah, and Seth is Emily."

"This is different and you know it."

Jake sighed and placed his shaking hands on either sides of my face. "You don't get it, Bella. You're always going on about using me- it could easily be the other way around. You're the one thing that keeps me human, you're the one thing that I don't have to share. My human form, my thoughts, my life… now it's you too."

I shook my head. "You seem to forget that I'm actually my own person. You're my best friend, Jacob Black. I owe you my life, and possibly my sanity, too. It's going to take more than an imprint to keep me away from you."

He smiled sadly. "You know the story, right? Leah and Sam dated for almost three years. Sam simply looks at her cousin, and that's all it takes for him to break it off with the girl he thought would be the one."

I rolled my eyes. "Have a little faith. I'm not Sam."

Jake snorted. "You most definitely are not."

We smiled at each other for a while.

"At least you didn't explode." I said lightly.

This time it was his turn to roll his eyes. "Have a little faith. I'm not Sam."

"Ouch." I laughed and shook my head at him disapprovingly. "Just promise me you'll cut Seth some slack. He certainly didn't ask for this."

"As long as he knows that he's the luckiest guy around, I'll leave him alone."

I blushed and gave him a shove. "You're so cheesy it makes me wanna vomit."

Jake cringed away from me jokingly. "I have to get back. My dad will want me back to help with the funeral plans."

I sighed and nodded. "See you soon."

"Soon." He promised, and turned away.

Before he got too far, I called out to him. "Love you, Jake."

He twisted his head back to face me. "Really?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah." I replied, smiling back at him.

"Good. Because I love you too, and I don't care where that imprint lands Seth, I'll always be your best friend."

"Damn straight!"

A/N: Short one, and long overdue. Please let me know if you enjoyed- should I bother with another chapter about Paul and Taylor?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Seth's POV:

I stared at Bella as her and Jacob left, and then continued to stare at the door when it shut behind her, wondering what to think about it. My experience with romance of any kind was slim to none, but I was pretty sure that girls didn't touch boys unless they liked them. Jake was infamous in the pack for being madly in love with the Bella Swan, and we all knew that it crushed him to be pushed so far down into the friend zone.

"So what's going on between the two of you?" Asked Embry, kicking me underneath the table.

I turned around and looked up at him. "Huh?"

"You and Bella were staring at each other for the whole time you were there. Blushing and practically holding hands. Weren't discreet about it, either."

As if to prove his point, I felt my skin flush. The pack and imprints were all staring at me intently, even Sam- who usually tended to stay out of all our petty dramas.

"Nothing's going on." I replied weakly, but I had to look away to keep from cracking.

"Oh my god!" Screeched Quil, doing an awful impression of Janet from 'Friends' that had us all covering our ears. "Seth has a crush!"

I had been about to start panicking, assuming that he'd taken a guess on our imprint. But this, I could roll with. I ducked my head to hide my blush, and scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

"Awww!" Emily and Kim cooed, whilst the rest of the boys continued to jab and tease.

"Dude, Jake is _so_ gonna kill you!" Embry laughed, sounding like he was looking forward to it.

"I bet you it'll put Leah in a pissy mood too. She holds so much hate for that girl." Jared commented.

"If only Bella wasn't still mourning over that mosquito." Quil said, shaking his head and looking at me with mock pity.

"Don't worry though, I'm pretty sure it's just Jacob who can't handle any type of competition. Bella told Jacob, Jacob told Quil, Paul heard Quil's thoughts, Paul told Jared, Jared told Sam, Brady heard Sam's thoughts, Brady and Collin were talking about it when Leah heard their thoughts, and then I heard Leah's thoughts that the Cullen who Bella used to date is a 100-year-old piano-playing virgin! Imagine how pathetic you must be to not be able to get laid for a whole 100 years."

"Watch how that'll be him when he's older." Jared quipped, earning a smack.

"$20 on that!" Sam intercepted, chuckling along quietly. Embry looked at him, mocking hurt at the betrayal.

I was just thankful that I was no longer the topic of conversation.

Paul's POV

Don't get me wrong, I love the pack. But there's no denying that the lot of them are loud, obnoxious, idiots. For God's sake, someone close had died yesterday and they were going on about what pathetic virgins they all were!

Though, to be fair, the reason I was in such a foul mood was not because of Harry Clearwater, though I grieved the loss.

Taylor Avery was turning out to be the biggest headache of my life. After that bitter-sweet night before I phased, I truly thought that would be the last I'd ever see of her. I had tried not to dwell on it too much, though I couldn't help but slip up occasionally. The pack was forever curious about the one girl who didn't want me back, and the only girl who appeared in my thoughts more than once.

One day, whilst on patrol, I decided that I would go and see her. Even if I didn't speak to her, it would put my mind at rest. But of course, Sam was running with me, and alpha ordered me not to. I didn't let on how angry I was when he did that, and as soon as I finished my hour I stayed up until the early hours of the morning, trying to figure out the best possible loophole.

If I didn't set out to see Taylor, it wouldn't be disobeying Sam, would it? If I happened to be roaming around Forks and bumped into her, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. So the next day, I paid Seth $20 to take my patrol and spent the whole day roaming around Forks, and I told myself I had absolutely no intentions.

I started in the local supermarket, then Queen's road (hot-spot for beauty parlours and boutiques, an easy place to seek out new conquests), a couple of foot-trails in the forest, the few restaurants that the town had and the police station (It wouldn't have been the first time she'd ended up there). Then I got desperate and checked places like Forks general hospital, the local drycleaners & key fitters, the corner shop, and a public restroom. Needless to say, she wasn't in any of those places.

I ran my hands through my hair, and let out a frustrated groan. It was possible that Taylor had gone out for a day in Port Angeles, or maybe even Seattle. She never could stay in one place for a long amount of time, always itching to do something new. I wasn't about to go to her house, the alpha order definitely wouldn't allow that. Plus, it was kinda creepy. Even by my standards.

Her scent hadn't been strong in any one place today. I hadn't ever been near her as a wolf, but I had a slightly flawed memory of what she smelt like- alluring, rich, sweet and refreshing all at the same time, always coated with a thin layer of expensive perfume. I remembered it being distinctively feminine and enticing, not like any other girl's scent. I couldn't pick a food or flower to describe it.

At times I thought I had caught onto it, but then it would disappear as soon as I thought it were there. I had been searching for a good two hours now, and the whole situation was beginning to jar me.

There was only one place left to go: a small park right on the edge of Forks. It was supposedly for 12 year olds and younger, but it was common knowledge that after it was dark teens would climb over the gates and fuck around on the swings, usually getting drunk/high. I decided it was worth a shot.

I promised myself that after this I would go home and never think of Taylor Avery again. But as I got closer and closer, I started to hear familiar voices. But it wasn't of shrieking little kids running around and playing, it was of jeering teenage boys and giggling school girls. My heart beat accelerated slightly.

Sure enough, I turned the corner and there was a group of about seven. A couple of girls and a boy were lounging on the basket swing, chatting each other up, a suspicious looking brown bag being passed around. I recognised the guy to be Matt Jason- I played a basketball game against him once. Pushing them was a slim, leggy brunette. I quickly realised with a small pang of embarrassment that I had slept with her before, only a few weeks ago. She clearly sensed my stare and looked up to meet my eyes, and looked back down extremely quickly. Haylee, I think her name was.

A few feet to the right, two boys were messing around on the slides, laughing stupidly and clearly trying to impress the girl who sat leaning against the roundabout, watching them distantly with a mocking smile on her face. It didn't take me more than two seconds to realise who I was staring at. I made to walk over to the gate and speak to her, but the alpha order suddenly crashed down on me, freezing me in place. I tried desperately to work my way around it, sweating under the effort. But it simply wouldn't budge.

 _Fuck this,_ I had thought with raging intensity. _And fuck Sam._

But then one of the two boys Taylor had been watching spotted me and nudged the other one to look too, making her turn around in curiosity. Even before our eyes met, I knew what was going to happen. My heart clenched, and I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing for at least a minute. I felt the alpha order whittle away into nothingness, and it was my weak self-control who had to stop myself from sprinting over to her, scooping her up into my arms, and never letting go. I could almost physically feel my soul latching onto hers, and I knew that nothing in my life would ever matter as much as Taylor Avery did to me.

I shook my head, willing myself back into the present. That memory was set on repeat in my brain, and I couldn't make it stop.

Later that evening, I told Sam and Jared what had happened. I had always been particularly close to them, and they knew what imprinting felt like just as well as I did. Plus, if I didn't tell someone, I might have just exploded. I'm pretty sure I was in shock.

Jared grinned at me and held out his fist for me to bump. "Welcome to the club, dude. You're in for a world of pain." He joked, though it didn't seem very funny to me. "And sexual tension."

It was true, the thought of sleeping with anyone apart from Taylor made me want to throw up, and I didn't think she would be giving out any time soon.

"How did she react?" Sam asked, and clapped a hand on my shoulder in reassurance.

I shrugged. "I don't know. We stared at each other for a long time. Once things calmed down, she just seemed confused. And speechless. One of the boys shook her shoulder, and I growled so loud that I'm pretty sure they all heard me. She eventually started walking over to me slowly, and pushed her friends out of the way when they tried to stop her. We sort of acknowledged each other, and stood real close for a few minutes before she stepped away. She told me I looked different, then asked why I was there. I didn't know what to say."

"Why _were_ you there?" Sam asked, a stern, yet somehow slightly amused expression on his face.

I shrugged sheepishly.

"Shit. Did you touch her?" Jared asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"No. Why?"

"Oh, the first time you touch kind of solidifies the imprint. No matter if it's her tits or her little finger, you'll remember it for the rest of your life." He said, grinning like an idiot in love, clearly thinking of Kim.

"Uh, Paul?" Sam asked quickly, probably making sure I didn't let my thoughts wonder too much.

"Mmh?"

"When are you going to tell her?"  
"No fucking clue."

A/N: sorry it's been a while. Please let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Soooo this chapter will be all Seth x Bella, since the last one didn't really involve them. I'll still be updating you with Paul x Taylor, just not so often I guess. Please, please, please keep the reviews coming!J

Chapter 5

Bella's POV:

A few seconds after Jacob walked out of sight, I realised that I didn't actually have a clue where I was. Sure, La Push was possibly the smallest town you could ever imagine, but I was only familiar with a few parts of it. It was just a long, light brown dirt road with small houses and bungalows on either side. It looked like any other street, and I huffed out a small sigh of irritation. I was sure that if I walked around for a few minutes, or maybe tried to retrace myself and Jake's steps that I could regain my sense of direction, but I was feeling physically drained, and the small wooden bench at the end of the road was looking oddly inviting.

Luckily, I had my ridiculously worn copy of Wuthering Heights in my purse. I felt smug that I had chosen today to take it with me, and settled down on the bench. I flicked past the cover and credit pages, and then started from the very beginning.

I didn't keep track of time as I read, I just carried on until I had finished the entire book. I checked the watch on my cell, picking up on the difference of colour in the sky. It was now 2pm, so I guess that explained why my stomach was rumbling. I suddenly wished that I had listened to Seth and eaten breakfast.

I rolled my shoulders and stretched my legs- which had become stiff from sitting in one position for so long. I pondered on where to go- my truck was still parked outside of Emily's, so I'd have to go back there at some point. But I also really wanted food, and didn't feel like walking that far.

"Hey Bella. Whatcha doing here?" Called out a familiar voice from the other side of the street.

I turned my head to spot one of the pack members. I couldn't quite remember what his name was, but he was one of the older ones. Lean and tall- I was pretty sure he was the one with the quiet girlfriend.

"Hey. Um, just reading." I held my book above my head for him to see.

He squinted for a while, then nodded. "Wuthering Heights, I think I've heard of that one before. Is it for school or something?"

It amazed me that he could read such a small title from so far away. The wolves' eyes must have been nearly as powerful as the Cullens'. It took me a few seconds to realise that I had said (well, thought) their name's without flinching.

"Nope." I replied, popping the 'p'.

"Huh." He said, as though the thought of someone reading a non-school related book was foreign to him. "Well, your truck is still at Emily's, right? I could give you a ride if you like. She's making lunch for the lot of us, I'm sure she wouldn't mind setting an extra place at the table."

"Um, I don't want to intrude." I said begrudgingly.

"Don't be silly. I'm going straight there anyways, and Emily seems to really like you." He shrugged.

I raised an eyebrow. "Does that seem so outrageous to you?"

He grinned then. Jared, his name was definitely Jared. I could recognise that jaw breaking smile from across the street- it was almost as contagious as Jacob's. "Nah, you don't seem so bad. I guess I just don't understand why you would…" Jared trailed off, scratching the back of his head. I guess he had been warned that this was a somewhat touchy subject for me.

"Date a 'leech'?" I finished for him, feeling a small twang of pain ripple through my chest. Surprisingly pathetic compared to what I had previously dealt with, like the prick of a needle rather than the stab of a knife.

Jared nodded slowly, then gestured for me to come over. I crossed the road, putting my book in my purse and tucking my hair behind my ears. He greeted me with a cautious hug, which surprised me. I suppose that some of the pack members did seem a lot more affectionate than most other people, especially towards each other. I hugged him back for a few seconds before getting into his car. Straight away he turned the radio onto an indie station, which I actually didn't mind.

We got to Emily's within five minutes, and I could smell the food all the way from the bottom of the driveway. My stomach growled, and I heard Jared chuckle. I looked up at him sheepishly, and he shook his head with a smile.

"Shoulda had breakfast." He commented. I rolled my eyes and shoved him, which resulted in me rubbing my arm and him not moving an inch. As it turns out, Jacob was only pretending to be phased by my jabs.

Jared opened the door and strolled in, greeting everyone with a cheerful "Sup!"

A short, curvy, dark haired girl rushed over to him and pecked him on the lips, which Jared managed to turn into a full-on make-out session. I assumed that was his girlfriend who I vaguely remembered from earlier. Kim, I think her name was. The last time that I had kissed someone like that was Brick Tanner in the 10th grade.

"Hey Jared, Bella. Will you be joining us?" Emily asked in a hopeful tone.

"If that's okay." I replied, grateful that Emily could never possibly find it in her to turn someone down.

My eyes flitted across the room, and somehow landed on Seth. He was sitting on a tall stool with his back to me, chatting to Sam, who had a beer-bottle in hand. His tan arms rested against the marble island, and I couldn't help but marvel how his muscles rippled as he reached out to brush a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. I wondered how they'd feel wrapped around me.

 _Snap out of it Bella,_ I thought. _The kid's only just turned 15, I'm pretty sure those thoughts aren't even legal. Even though he doesn't look it whatsoever._ I found myself venturing off in the wrong track yet again. Though would it really be so wrong?

"Hey Bells." Jake called from where he was sitting on the couch next to Embry, watching the TV. I walked over to him and sat on the arm of it, only to be pushed into his lap and tickled until I was made breathless with laughter.

"Jake!" I squealed between huffs of breath. "What the hell was that for?"

He shrugged. "You looked tense." He kissed my cheek before shoving me off of him playfully.

Embry wiggled his brows and smirked impishly. "What _was_ that little chat of yours about?"

I couldn't think of a good reply, so I stuck my tongue out and walked into the kitchen. "Can I help you with anything?" I asked Emily.

She smiled. "You really don't have to."

"I want to."

"Well, I guess you could peel and chop these vegetables. Not the most glamourous of jobs, but it would make my life a lot easier.

"Of course."

Emily handed me a selection of knives, a chopping board and a huge pot filled with vegetables. I felt my eyes widen a little at the size, but I guess that's what to be expected when you had the job of feeding a houseful of hungry wolves.

I set my equipment down on the island- to give Emily all the counter space she needed- diagonal to Seth. I looked up at him and smiled cautiously.

"Where'd you go?" He asked, toying with his glass.

I shrugged, trying to concentrate both on him and not chopping my fingers off. "I just found a bench and read for a few hours. Why, did I miss anything interesting?"

Seth tilted his head, and I could've sworn that I saw him blush a little. He glanced at Sam, who's lips curved into a slight smile. "Um, no. Nothing much happened."

I stayed silent for a few seconds, wondering what the small exchange between the two boys meant.

"So, you like reading?" He asked, clearly itching to change the subject.

"Yeah. Love it, actually."  
"I'm guessing you're good at English, then."

I pursed my lips. "It's definitely one of my better subjects. I'm on the verge of failing Trig. I seriously need a tutor."

Seth seemed to ponder on that for a moment. "Pauls really great with numbers, he's a grade below you but I'm sure he could help."

I let out a clipped laugh and shook my head quickly enough for questioning looks to be thrown my way. "I don't think he'll be offering me help any time soon."

I heard a quiet grumble from across the room. "Damn right I won't be." It didn't take me long to realise that with supernatural hearing, Paul could've been eavesdropping the whole conversation with ease.

I kissed my teeth at him. "As if I'd want help from an overgrown child with anger issues." I muttered under my breath, despite blatantly knowing he could hear me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him sit up a little and growl. Seth instantly stood up, his muscles retracting and legs bending slightly as if ready to pounce. "Did you just growl at her?" He asked in a remarkably unrecognisable voice.

Paul stared at him blankly, seeming speechless for a few long seconds. Then the confused mask was suddenly washed away with a look of sudden understanding.

He quickly sat back in his chair. "Sorry, dude."

The whole house was silent for what seemed like ages, the only noise being the quiet hum of a cartoon in the background.

"So, where were we?" Seth asked a little awkwardly, breaking the unbearable quiet.

"Oh, I was just telling you how bad I am at math." I moved onto slicing peppers.

"Right, well I think Jared's pretty good at math too and he's a senior. He would definitely help. With some incentive, that is."

I breathed a laugh. "What kind of incentive?"

Seth shrugged. "Food, probably. Jake says you like to cook?"

I smiled and nodded. "Sometimes. Although I could put a Frisbee covered in icing in front of him and he'd demolish it, and then probably compliment me on it too."

"I think that applies to most of us. But the food last night was great. Thank you, again." He said, his voice suddenly soft.

I looked up at him, distracted by how the hard, solid lines of his jaw and cheekbones contrasted the softness of his eyes and lips. I suddenly felt a sharp pang of pain erupt in my one of my fingers, and instantly dropped the knife I had been holding. It clattered onto the tiled floor with a startling clang, speckling the floor red with my blood. I looked down at my left hand to see blood gushing out of my index finger at an alarming rate.

" _Shit._ " I spat, and fluttered around uselessly, looking for something to stop the bleeding.

"Ooohhh! Bella cursed!" Someone called out, and I let out a frustrated hiss.

"Oh… God. Are you okay?" Seth asked, stuttered slightly.

"What do you think?" I asked in exasperation. My finger had started to throb which only proceeded to make the pain worse. A pool of blood started to form at my feet and I made the mistake of breathing in through my nose. I gagged heavily and rushed over to the kitchen sink.

"What do you need?" It was Sam who spoke this time. His eyebrows were furrowed and it was almost comical how a man as big as he was looked so freaked out by a cut.

"I don't know. Like, a band-aid, or something?" My voice sounded strained, even to me.

"No. You have to stop the bleeding first." Seth nudged him out of the way and gently placed a folded cloth over the cut, then wrapped the rest around my hand. He applied pressure, and I grimaced. I glanced behind me to see Emily gathering various things from her medical cabinet: creams, gauzes, bandages, etc.

"We should probably take you to the hospital now."

I groaned. "Can't we just avoid it? That place is seriously becoming my second home."

Seth looked at me incredulously. "You're crazy. Did you see how much blood there was? You'll definitely need stitches."

"Don't remind me." I replied weakly, feeling my stomach churn.

"What's all this fuss about?" Embry asked grouchily, strolling over from his seat at the TV. He took in the bloody knife and the dark red pool on the floor, then Sam and Emily's distraught state. He looked over to where Seth was towering over me, cradling my obviously injured hand.

Embry's face paled tremendously. "OH MY GOD!" He screamed.

"What?" A few of the boys asked simultaneously.

"BELLA CUT HER FINGER OFF!"

A/N: A little unfinished, I know. But I'm tired. Plus, I have to go back and read this, then edit. Sorry dudes, at least it was a long one. Also, how would you feel about a Jake x Embry or a Quil x Embry? Or is that way too weird?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes, I haven't bothered to proof read this one. Much more Bella x Seth action in the next chapter.

Chapter 6:

Bella's POV: I stood myself in front of the over-sized bathroom mirror one last time, assessing every inch of my body. God, the last time I had made such a fuss over what I looked like was my first date with Edward. Well, unless you counted that one Italian restaurant in Port Angeles as a date, then it would've been the second. Besides, back then I had Alice to save the day and tidy me up. I sighed- oh, how I missed my (not so) little sister.

Before I could upset myself even more, I picked up the mascara brush and perfected my left eye. Then I winced as I bent my finger too far down.

It had been a whole week, and the damned thing still hurt. I didn't know how that was possible, but I stuffed some painkillers and a water bottle into my purse in case it bothered me much more later on in the evening.

I bit my lip and considered changing my outfit once more. The clothes I had on now were a result of me getting behind on washing. A pair of black skinny (very skinny) jeans, a blue camisole my mother had bought me as a late 17th birthday gift (it still had the tags when I tried it on) and white converse (an all-time favourite of mine).

I felt my phone buzz.

 _Hey. Wya? –Jake_

I sighed when I realised that I was already 30 minutes late, and with my truck it would take me at least 30 more minutes to get down to first beach.

 _Running late. Sry. Be there soon-ish. –B_

The pack was holding a bonfire. And it wasn't for telling tribal legends, more like a party, apparently. Which was why I attempted to turn the invite down, but Seth gave me his puppy-dog eyes, and I just about melted.

I grabbed my purse, ran down the stairs as fast as I could without a guaranteed trip and walked over to the kitchen. I retrieved two pies out of the oven where I had been keeping them warm, and grabbed the 8 pack of soda from the fridge. Somehow, I managed to carry all this and open the front door without dropping anything.

"Bye, Dad!"

"Call me if you decide to stay out, Bells."

"Sure, sure."

"Have a good time kiddo."

With that I shut the door behind me, jumped into my truck, turned on the radio and started my journey to La Push. The weather had been abnormally good in Washington, and you could tell that everyone was taking advantage of it. _I suppose that I am, too._ I thought, looking at my bare shoulders.

I pulled up in the gravel parking lot opposite the beach, and started to make my way down. Though it was from a distance, I could recognise Sam and Jared walking towards the group from the forest with an armful of logs and wood. Jake, Embry and Quil's voices rang out the loudest. Jake had Quil in a (hopefully) playful headlock, and Embry was trying to sweep Jake's feet out from under him. I saw Emily and Kim by the huge food table, carefully arranging trays and different assortments of food. Seth and Leah were sitting down on a log, chatting animatedly to each other. Seth was shirtless, as per usual.

A little to my left, leaning against the wooden fencing, I spotted someone. He was definitely a wolf, but a small one at that. A bit over 6 foot, and though he was still muscled, his frame was slender- even more so than Embry's. I don't know how, but I could just tell from the way that he was standing that he was young.

"Can I help you?" He asked without turning around. I checked that it was only me that he could possibly be speaking to before I answered.

"Um, no. Sorry. I guess I was just wondering why you're not down there with them."

"Jake texted you when you were half an hour late, right? You see, I'm actual pack and I've been standing here for an hour. The only person who noticed me was Jared when he got out of his car. And he called me Braden. For god's sake, Brady really isn't such a hard name to remember. You share an entire mind with me, and you can't even be bothered to swap the 'en' out for a 'y'."

I stood there in silence for a while, not knowing how to react.

Then I heard him sigh, and he turned around slowly. "I'm sorry for ranting." Brady said in a strained, tired voice.

"It's okay. I understand needing to get things off of your chest." I replied cautiously. "I'm Bella." I held out my hand.

Brady snorted and grasped it in his. "Trust me, I know. Everyone does."

I blushed at that, and he laughed once again. "How old are you?" I asked, knowing that it would bug me later if I didn't find out.

"Thirteen."

I felt my eyes widen almost comically. If I had water in my mouth, I would 100% have done a spit-take.

"I know. I couldn't even get through my first year of being a teenager without phasing into a giant werewolf. My mom thought the unnecessary anger was the hormones, so boy was she shocked when I exploded in the middle of the living room."

"Oh… God."

"Yeah- cost us a TV." Brady said sorrowfully, as if that was the worst possible outcome.

"Look, why don't we both go down together. You can help me carry my food, and I'll give you first dibs."

"You don't need to be all nice because you feel sorry for me. I'm fine on my own."

"I don't feel sorry for you. I like you. And I need a substitute best friend for the night- no way am I getting involved in whatever that is." I gestured over to Jake who was somewhat violently play fighting with his friends.

Brady raised a brow. "Substitute?"

"Well, if you complete the job sufficiently then I'll look into a more permanent role for you. Come on, let's go."

When we finally reached where the rest of the pack was situated, another wolf caught my eye. Paul Lahote. He was standing in a small huddle with Sam, Jared, and a girl- introducing her to them I think. I actually remembered her from Forks High, she was a year below me, so a junior. Taylor Avery, her name was. It wasn't common at our school for a girl to be ridiculously pretty and a jock, so I guessed that was why she was so popular. If she was like any of the other well-known juniors then it was pretty predictable that she would be here with Paul Lahote. But by the way they acted around each other, something told me that this wasn't just a date night for them.

Paul's arm twitched awkwardly by his side, as if he were wondering whether to wrap it around her or keep to himself. Taylor kept on looking at Paul for confirmation on something, and he was quick to reassure her, an almost panicked look on his face. Jared and Sam kept smirking at the two of them, shooting knowing looks. Something told me that things were complicated between the two of them, and I was suddenly grateful for the simplicity of mine and Seth's relationship.

"Hey, Bella." Sounded out Seth's voice.

"Hey- how are you?" I gave him a short embrace, trying not to fumble or blush. It had been a good few days since I'd last seen him, with school being busy and all.

"Good. How's the hand?"

I held it out for him, showing the long, deep purple scab. "Getting better. They took out the stitches yesterday."

He sighed happily, and I couldn't help but smile. Then I saw Brady edge away from me, and I figured that he was trying to escape. I grabbed him by the edge of his shirt and pulled him back to me. Then I clocked that he was actually wearing a shirt.

"Hey, why do you have a top on?"

Brady frowned. "I don't know, I just prefer to wear them. Am I really the weird one in this situation?"

"I guess not." I said with a shrug.

I caught a glance of Seth looking at Brady apologetically, then turning back to me. "Hey, do you mind if we take a walk? I promise it won't take long."

I'm pretty sure my face took on an odd expression as nostalgia washed through me from the night I had asked Jacob to take a walk with me. That was a night that I would never be able to forget. God, it seemed like years ago.

"Oh, um, we don't have to. I just figured that-" Seth was quick to start talking again.

"No, no, I want to." I glanced back at Brady hesitantly, who just shrugged and pushed me towards Seth gently.

"Don't worry, I'll still be here when you get back."

Seth and I walked past mine and Jacob's driftwood tree, and another wave of nostalgia came along. So much had changed.

"I didn't think that you and Brady knew each other." Seth started off.

"Yeah, I don't think a lot of people know Brady." I muttered, slightly annoyed that Sam would neglect the newest pack member so much.

"Huh?"

"Don't worry. So what did you want to talk about?"

He scratched his head. "You see, the thing is, I have no clue what you want, and it's driving me crazy. I'm your imprint, so I'm supposed to know. It's kind of my job, but it's messing with my head. It's like you keep changing your mind, or fighting against yourself. All I know is that you said we could definitely be friends, and I think we are, right? But you keep looking at me in this way, and I don't know if I'm deluded by the imprint so stop me if I'm crazy, but-"

Seth was starting to pace nervously, and I put myself in his path to stop him. "Seth, honey, calm down. It's okay, I get it. I just… I know it's not fair on you. Most of the time I have an idea of what I want, I guess I'm just too scared to put it into words. I have baggage, Seth. A hell of a lot of it, at that. And then there's what other people would say."

"What people?" Seth asked incredulously, as if he were really to knock out anyone who would stand in our way.

"Seth, I'll always be the leech-lover. It might not bother you, but I don't want to see how much grief the pack will give you over it. Just look at Jake, for example. And we weren't even together."

"But I don't care!" He exclaimed.

"And then there's the fact that it wouldn't even be legal."

Seth blushed then. "Actually, I googled it. Quite a lot of things aren't illegal."

I laughed breathlessly, shaking my head borderline hysterically, and tugged his hand. "Come on, I think Emily's about to serve food. We can carry on later."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


End file.
